LINDT LES GRANDES, 34% NOISETTES

Well, let me first start off by saying that I did review this chocolate bar a few years ago, April 14, 2015 to be exact. However, this choco, the one that I will be discussing in this particular post today, is not purchased from Vancouver, BC, Canada but instead, this bar is flown directly from Switzerland, it was brought over by someone who is visiting Vancouver. To make matters even more interesting, the packaging is quite different from the previously reviewed bar, despite the fact that they are both the same. Hmmmm, is this some sort of a marketing scheme where the exterior appearance is not identical for the North American market as opposed to the European? Does Switzerland appreciate more of the classic appearance that Lindt has to offer, and the North Americans in return would not know the difference? I guess the Europeans do try to make a bit of a mockery for the North Americans, but it goes both ways. Nevertheless, we can disregard the package and instead, focus our energy on the bar itself. Upon first appearance, it looks scrumptious, nutty, crunchy, milky…..BUT, is that really how it tastes? Keep reading…….. Creamy, oh yes, milky – you got it, hazelnuts – prominent, so much so that the crunchy bite cannot be dismissed. It is all over your face. The melt action is slow of course, “let’s get to next Christmas” type of a slow. There is of course a great excuse, the hazelnuts silly! On the downside, the chocolate bar itself is a bit sweet, despite the nut infestation. Also, strange enough, if the package did not mention hazelnuts specifically, I would never have guessed the type of nut thrown into this bar. It could be anything, pecans, almonds, cashews, walnuts etc. It certainly does not taste like hazelnuts. Did Lindt cheap out on this one, a pretend hazelnut type of a nut, hmmmmmm, got you thinking there, right? Unfortunately, I do not hold the answers to these very controversial questions. What I do know is that I am somewhat impressed, okay, okay, not really. This is supposed to be the same chocolate bar as the one previously reviewed, or is it?
 
ChocolisciouslyDelightful Rating: 3.2 / 5.0
 
Ingredients: Sugar, Hazelnuts 34%, Cocoa Butter, Cocoa Mass, Whole Milk Powder, Lactose, Skim Milk Powder, Anhydrous Milk Fat, Emulsifier (Soya Lecithin), Barley Malt Extract, Flavourings, Almonds. 
 
May contain other nuts. 
Milk chocolate contains: Cocoa solids: 34% minimum
 
NUTRITION INFORMATION PER 100 g. 
 
Energy                                                 587 kcal
Fat                                                       41 g
  Saturated Fat                                      13 g
Carbohydrates                                       39 g
Protein                                                  8.3 g
Salt                                                      0.08 g